erziehen

to raise

verb er-TSEE-en Rare

Also means

to bring up

Usage Note

erziehen means to bring up and morally educate a child, distinct from unterrichten (to teach a subject). It is a strong, inseparable verb: ich erziehe, ich erzog, ich habe erzogen. The related noun is Erziehung; a child can be gut erzogen (well brought up).

Examples

"Sie erziehen ihre Kinder sehr liebevoll."

Natural Translation

They raise their children very lovingly.

Literal Translation

They raise their children very lovingly.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Modal Particles: doch, mal, ja, eben

German modal particles doch, mal, ja, and eben add attitude, not meaning. Before/after examples show how to use each one so your German stops sounding stiff.

June 9, 2026 6 min read